Photo By Staff Sgt. Cesar Salazar Jr. | Wisconsin National Guard service members present the colors during the opening...... read more read more
Nearly 4,000 attendees packed the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee where the Wisconsin National Guard played host to the 147th annual National Guard Association of the United States General Conference (NGAUS) Aug. 22-25.
The 2025 edition of the conference featured a wide array of professional development and networking opportunities as well as strategic level insights from a U.S. senator and senior military officials – including three of the eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Brew City, hosting the NGAUS General Conference for the third time since 1998, dazzled attendees, many of whom had never visited the city or Wisconsin before, and served as the backdrop for the many social events held at iconic venues throughout the city.
Golf outings at area courses, a sport fishing tournament on Lake Michigan, social mixers in the Deer District in downtown Milwaukee, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ride through Southeastern Wisconsin were among the highlights for attendees. Luncheons for spouses and retirees at places like the Pritzlaff Building in the city’s Historic Third Ward and the Harley-Davidson Museum helped showcase the city and Wisconsin hospitality. Meanwhile, Discovery World on the city’s iconic lakefront, was the site of the governor’s reception where attendees took harbor boat tours with skyline views and enjoyed a fireworks display.
Capt. Ashley Estep, a Missouri Army National Guard officer said she really enjoyed Milwaukee’s atmosphere and the food and beverage scene – particularly the cheese curds.
Inside the Baird Center though, it was all business as senior leaders shared their vision for the National Guard’s future, its critical role in the nation’s defense, and interacted with junior officers in breakouts. The conference was headlined by remarks from Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“When you mobilize the Guard, you mobilize the nation,” Caine told attendees. “Rooted in all of our history is the Guard. From 1636 to 2036 and beyond, the Guard will always be there.”
Caine, who served as a fighter pilot in both the New York and District of Columbia Air National Guards throughout his career, praised the contributions of the National Guard to the nation’s defense both in recent months and throughout its long and storied history. He also articulated a vision in which the National Guard is essential to the nation’s warfighting capacity.
“It is the joint enlisted force that brings us the true exclusivity that America's combat power has,” he said. “Often times, I contend that no one in the world is better than the enlisted force in the National Guard, because you bring your civilian experience together with your military experience. You deliver exponential returns for the United States of America.”
Meanwhile, Gen. Steven Nordhaus, the chief of the National Guard Bureau recalled the long lineage of the National Guard and the vital role it continues to play today.
“As we look back to 1636, our National Guard has been here for our nation, defending, saving lives, securing our homeland and our freedoms across centuries, across continents,” he told NGAUS attendees. “Our National Guard has always been there. We are 20 percent of the joint force, and four percent of the DoD budget.”
Nordhaus and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau John T. Raines III, highlighted several Citizen Soldiers and Airmen across the nation who answered the call to duty and saved lives over the past year. They implored all of the 433,000 Guard members across the 54 states and territories in more than 2,500 communities to maintain their readiness.
NGAUS attendees also had the opportunity to hear from Gen. Randy George, the chief of staff of the Army, who spoke in detail about transformation of the Army to prepare it for the modern battlefield. His comments touched on topics such as drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, streamlining force structure, and improving acquisition timelines. But people, he said, will continue to be the priority along with ensuring they are physically and mentally prepared for the rigors of modern warfare.
“We talk a lot about equipment,” he said. “We talk a lot about structure, but what’s most important to the Army is our people and making sure we’re investing in those things to make sure that our Soldiers are strong and resilient and ready.”
The Army chief of staff reiterated how proud he was of the National Guard and its contributions, noting that approximately 22,000 National Guard troops are currently serving on Title 10 federal authorizations, while Army Guard troops make up 34 percent of the Army’s force structure, 42 percent of its combat power, and 26 percent of its sustainment force structure.
Likewise, the commander of Air Mobility Command, Gen. John D. Lamontagne, praised the Guard’s contributions to Air Mobility Command’s core missions of global airlift, refueling, and aeromedical evacuation.
“I’m telling you, nobody can tell the difference between an active duty member and a Guard member,” he said. “Because you’re that talented. You’ve got years of experience and credibility, and you provide outstanding capability for the nation.”
For those in attendance, NGAUS 2025 represented a great opportunity to hear from senior leaders and build connections with their brothers and sisters in arms from across the 54 states and territories.
Estep said the chance to collaborate with other company grade officers on important topics and ways of doing business was valuable.
“In our sessions here, just bringing back the knowledge of what we’re doing as a whole with the military, and our piece of the pie with the Guard and how we actually fit with big Army and the roles that we play,” she said. “If I can bring that back to my company and talk in a way that gets them motivated, we’ll have even better Soldiers within the Guard.”
Colton Rossow, a first lieutenant from the Minnesota National Guard, agreed.
“It’s just been a great time meeting all the other officers and just making those connections between our states,” he said.
The annual NGAUS conference also provided an opportunity for the National Guard to thank those who continue to support its mission. Maj. Gen. Matthew Strub, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, presented Sen. Tammy Baldwin, with NGAUS’s Harry S. Truman Award in recognition of the senator’s continued support and advocacy for the National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2025 13:58 |
| Story ID: | 546544 |
| Location: | MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 125 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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